Down The Rabbit's Hole
by LyraDhani
Summary: In which Kurogane met a mysterious kid who seemed to know nothing and everything, Fai lost a half of himself and possibly everything else, and Syaoran was trapped at everywhere and nowhere at the same time


Kurogane couldn't remember the last time he had been separated from the kid, the wizard and the white meat bun even just five meter away from each other. Heck, he couldn't remember any time when they weren't together, the four of them always fighting for what they think was right. He examined his surroundings. There were nobody here, only trees and bushes, and it smelled nice, like the forest. Good, Kurogane liked the smell of the forest.

And for the sake of the forest and the fresh smell he liked, Kurogane sincerely hoped that he could meet the idiots before he ended up going berserk and sliced everything in his path. It wasn't like it would be the first time.

"Hey!"

Kurogane craned his neck so fast he felt like it would break. Someone was approaching. His hand instinctively clenched on his sword on reflect. It had become a habit, something that Fai always playfully teased him for because _Kuro-pii always scaring away their hosts_. Thinking about Fai didn't help and it certainly showed on his expression because the stranger immediately backed away with hands raised in a gesture of peace. "Whoa, mister. Calm down."

Kurogane's eyes twiched. "Who are you?"

The stranger raised an eyebrow. "That's rude. You should introduce yourself before asking for people's name. Come to think of it, I've never seen you-"

The weird kid barely finished his sentence before Kurogane grabbed his face and firm-planted it to the ground. It was really rude even for him, and if Syaoran were here, he would have scolded him about it with flustered tone. But he wasn't here, neither was Fai.

And Kurogane had reached his limit. He wasn't a patient guy in the first place.

"Listen," Kurogane said slowly. "My name is Kurogane and I am looking for a brown-haired kid around your age and a blondie-haired young man."

"Can you let go of me first?" The weird kid choked. Then, with a rather deadpanned tone, added, "Please?"

The kid was brave. Kurogane had to give him credits.

"Do you know where they are or do you not?" he growled.

"I don't know," When Kurogane growled again, the weird kid hastily added, "But I know a lot people who might know about it. Now, can you let go of me please?"

"Hmph." Just for good measure, Kurogane glared at the weird kid for one last time before letting go.

The kid immediately sat up and brushed the dust from his clothes. He was a tough one, Kurogane could tell. With blue eyes sharper than a knife and shining so brightly. It was almost a comfortably familiar sight. It tugged something on his memory and his instinct practically screaming to not let this kid go. And Kurogane, who relied on strength and wits most of the time, knew better than to ignore his instinct.

There was something going on here and Kurogane bet his precious sword that it had something to do with Syaoran and Fai went missing.

"You. What's your name?"

"Me?" The kid gave him a thumb up. "My name is Kagetora! I am going to be the young lord of the palace!"

He was shouting nonsense, exaggeratingly expressing his emotion using hands gesture and body languange, like an overgrown child demanding attention. It was annoying and distracting.

Amidst the unnecessary shouting though, Kurogane could hear a sound of soft thumping, like a bell ringing gently. A beautiful sound, and yet always so hated. Tomoya always said that the spiders made the most beautiful sound. Too bad most of them were nasty creatures. And this weird kid, with his web of lies and deceptively innocent smile, could be even nastier.

Kurogane narrowed his eyes. He must have accidentally let out dangerous aura again, because the kid took a careful step back.

"You're lying," Kurogane said, raising his sword defensively.

He didn't know why he could be sure of it.

But name was sacred, almost as crucial as the memory of soul itself. And Kurogane's had been buried for what felt like eternity, making a liar out of him.

It took one to know one.

The weird kid smiled wryly. "But you don't tell me your real name either, _Kurogane-san_."

He was really a tough one.

Kurogane smirked, showing his sharp teeth. "You better have nothing to do with the disappearance of my companions, spidey kid."

The kid shuddered at the nickname, eyes flinched at the mention of spiders. _Oh_, he hate spiders, Kurogane noted, not questioning it.

Then looking up and smiling shakily, Kagetora said, "Everything happens for a reason, Kurogane-san," he walked past Kurogane, his posture confident and no trace of hesitation in his steps. Then without looking at Kurogane, he said, almost playful. "There's no coincidence in this world."

No, there was only the inevitables.

He had heard it so many time in the past, coming from that woman's mouth, so much that it felt like a curse. It felt like the world was throwing apart. Kurogane hated those words so much.

"You're so similiar with that woman," Kurogane whispered, suddenly feeling breathless all of sudden.

The kid cocked his head curiously. "With who?"

Kurogane shook his head. "It's nothing. Let's get going."

He was feeling anxious, he realized belatedly. Clearly not a good sign.

He needed to find Syaoran and Fai real quick.

"Mr. Ninja," The kid pointed at the artifical limb. "Your hand is trembling."

Kurogane stared at him intently. "I wonder what's my instinct trying to warn me about you," The kid couldn't possibly understood what Kurogane was talking about, yet he was still smiling, eyes still shining so brightly. _There were no coincidences in the world_, he had said. But he said it like he knew what was going to unfold from now on. It made Kurogane uncomfortable. "But it doesn't matter. Even if the heart doesn't remember my body does."

Perhaps Mokona would have understood. But then again she wasn't here either, so Kurogane had no chance knowing.

.

.

Fai knew the moment he woke up that something wrong was going on. The first sign would be the complete lack of presence from Syaoran and Kurogane. The only thing that prevented Fai from having a panick attack was Mokona who still slept peacefully beside him, muttering something about sake and manjuu.

The second sign was the flow of his power.

Fai stared at the palms of his hand. Concentrating his magic to the core of his soul.

_His power was being reduced to half._

No, it wasn't just something so simple like that.

Something felt... lacking?  
"Fai?" Mokona rubbed her eyes, still looking half-asleep.

Fai bit his lips. "Mokona, is it possible for a person to lost half of his magic power?"

The air shifted, another sign that something was terribly wrong, confirming his theory.

Mokona opened her eyes, yet _another sign_. "It shouldn't be possible... But-"

There were worry and fear and _something else_ in her tone, something that suspiciously sounded like wounded rage. "-Fai, if someone split your soul into two..."

"Then it isn't impossible anymore," Fai continued, his mouth tasted like bitter acid. He felt really sick. "It means with having half of my soul, someone could have stolen the half of my power."

And it would work better than just eating his eyes too. After all, they would have essentially having half of the core of his magic.

"But only three person in the world that Mokona knew could do that," Mokona said. She sounded very uneasy, just like she always did whenever the topic of that woman come up.

"Yuuko the Dimentional Witch, Fei Wong, and Clow Reed," Fai said. Mokona's big eyes twiched at the mention of Yuuko.

It wasn't like Mokona hated Yuuko. No, Mokona's love for Yuuko was bigger than Fai's and Kurogane's and Syaoran's combined, but it was precisely why Mokona couldn't talk about Yuuko to anyone, as it was a memory she treasured alone.

Much to his surprise, Mokona shook her head. "They were all dead, Fai," She sounded heart-brokenly sad. "They can't touch you. The dead can't interfere with the living."

"But," Fai said very slowly, as something swirling in his stomach. He tried to smile, but just ended up grimacing instead. He felt really sick. He wanted to puke. There was no way this happening. "Who-?"

"Fai!"

Fai snapped out of his thoughts. Before he could say something to Mokona who jumped at him, the world was spinning down and the last thing he remembered was the sound of ringing bell.

And as he closed his eyes, his mind blacking out, Fai wondered if this too was inevitable.

Not for the first time, Fai wished he could just screw the destiny and take Syaoran away to the Clow Country and imprison him there. Then nothing would be able to hurt Syaoran anymore.

He wished Syaoran didn't have to cry again. He wished Kurogane didn't have to pretend to be tough all the time. He wished-

Very distantly, he heard someone whispered, "_I'll grant your wish_."

Which wish though? Fai had too many to count.

The sky was bright blue, how beautiful. If Fai had the time to indulge himself, he would pretend the clouds were waving at him.

The stars were unseen.

It was daytime after all.

"_Tell me, Fai."_

Mokona was calling his name, Fai was sure of it, the little creature always yell the loudest when her beloved were in danger, like an insticnt, the will to protect and worry that carried to her voice. It all belonged to her.

But Fai couldn't hear anything at all.

"_What is your wish?"_

If Fai was allowed to be indulgent-

_If only_-

"Fai!"

.

.

Syaoran picked up a flower. It was a beautiful thorny red flower that Fujitaka had showed him (more like, to the _other him_) once. He didn't remember its name but Syaoran was pretty sure it was a beautiful name.

Sakura would be delighted if he showed this flower to her. Fujitaka had said that it couldn't grow on a desert country but people on Clow were smart. They would know how to cultivate this flower. At least, Syaoran hoped so. It would be a beautiful sight to behold.

You're living in a void, Descendant of Clow Reed. And that flower is part of this void. You can't bring this flower to your friend

"Is that so?" Syaoran hummed.

That was just too bad. Sakura would love this flower. It was so pretty, prettier than any flower he had ever seen.

If you stay here, you can see the beautiful flower forever

Syaoran sighed. "But, I can't."

The world shook, the ground trembling with great tremors. Having exprecienced it several times, Syaoran simply sat down, not minding the dirt.

"I am sorry," Syaoran said softly. "But I'll stay here for now, so please calm down, okay?"

Syaoran

Syaoran flinched. He could never get used to that affectionate tone. For some reason, it intimidated him more than the small harmless earthquake.

What an unfamiliar feeling. It had been a long time since he felt intimidated of something.

You have to stay here with me forever

Syaoran hummed again, knowing it would be just endless loop of spoiled demands if he kept arguing.

It wasn't like he could leave anyway. He would stay here. Until he fulfilled his role, the fate that this world put on his shoulder, Syaoran would accompany the void just a little while longer.

You have to leave quickly

Leave, young man!

You should leave before you become one of us!

Oh, it had started again.

The shadows were moving, hands reaching out to no one, faceless voice echoed from nowhere and everywhere at once.

Void was, in a sense, the hell itself.

Syaoran picked up the flowers one by one, gathered it in his hands. It would be nice if Sakura could see these flowers.

_I won't leave now, but I won't stay forever_, Syaoran thought, repeating the words in his head like a mantra. He needed to remember who he was, so he didn't get devoured by the void.

But even though the void was untouched by the time, the time still running on the outside world. Perhaps if Syaoran could help it, Kurogane and Fai would come here before they themselves were running out of time.

Not that Syaoran would let that happen. After all, there was no such thing as coincidences.

And that was exactly why, if it was too late by the time Kurogane and Fai came to his side, then Syaoran would accept his fate. As it was the work of hitsuzen, it was the inevitables.

"But at the very least, I won't let you take what's rightfully mine," Syaoran said out loud, challenging.

The void shook again.


End file.
